The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-04-21
North Carolina and Virginia.

|
graduating class Of the Virginia Med
ical College, March 3Ist, 1887;
1.-The joint performance OF
public duties and the interchange Of
social courtesics between Nirginians and
North Carolinians began 100 years ago,
in the correspondence which took place
between the commissioners appointed
| to run the boundary line between the
two colonies. That was IN
1927, and, although 100 years have
since elapsed, as if unwilling that there
should be even an imaginary dividing
line between them, the people Of the
two States have never yet fixed the
boundary. Thirteen years after that
event-in I74o-when the expedition
against Carthagena, in Central Amer
lea, was fitted out, the regiment COM
handed by Colonel (and Lieutenant
Governor William GOoch, Of Virginia,
contained a full company Of North
Carolinians. Again in 1854, IN tie
expedition to the Ohio; again in Brad
docks Inflated expedition of 1855;
again in 1855 in the march to Fort
DuQuesne, and throughout the Revo-
lutionary war they were associated as
brothers, and shared a common glory.
And, oh my friends, last and grand
est, IN that titanic struggle which
shook this continent and broke the
hearts and hopes of miliors-when
the fiery tempest ragged throughout
YOUR borders for four long, bloody
ycars-what Virginidn will ever ask
the part that North Carolinians took
10 him. if such there be, from every
mountain and valley in your Common
wealth the answer comes, and iron
every forest and stream. From the
far-purpling ridges beyond the pleas
ant waters of the Shenandoah to the
draarv solitudes of the Dismal swamp
and from the racing Roanoke to where
the Potomac sweeps grandly to th'
) waiting sea the soil of Virginia is ricl
, with the blood of North Carollnlans
and the bones of thousands of then
moulder in it to-day. From the frs
rafting skirmish at Big Bethel tt
where, four years later, the last sobs G
the Guns died away amid the hills 0
: Anpomattox, thro every scene and OF
, every field where rang the bugle-cal
Of Stuart or presided the gen us o
, Robert Lee, with brave hearts anc
strong arms they barred the way, an'
fehting. fell a free sacrifice in defenc
of your homes and constitutional lib
erty.-I Great Applause
Their living kinsmen made no boas
of 1t then, and clam no praise for
J now, but they remember with sllen
, pride that in the darkest hour of South
ern history and in the surremest momen
of our fate, there fell from the lips c
the fearless Chieftain of the Confede1
q ate armies the benedlCtion: God Dles
. old North Carolina;' and they fee
=. that in each of those graves there Is a
} additional tie of friendship to bin
:, the two States in that cordial uno
y which has SO long existed betwee
them. Verify, the ties are numeror
- and strong. May they strengthe
: still, and be perpetual! And may n
y son of either State ever dishOnor hin
y self by admitting or by permittin
~ another in his presence and unrebuke
3 to assert that any stain of crime c
- wrong attaches to the memory of thos
= who sleep in such graves. The Mus
of History will not SO record 1t, an
- not all the Establishments of wealth {
power nor all the ingenuity Of malice
nor yet all the specious sentimentallt
II that has been or can be brought
! bear upon her will ever swrrve her pc
II to write the shameless lie. With moist
y ened eye, but steady hand, and wit
:, the serene light in which she dwell
~ ~ shining full upon her page, she will il
|" scribe the words whispered to her b
~ the Angel of Truth, saying -" Write
~ These men were not rebels; far lie:
N were they traitors. They were IL
:, brave sons of heroic sires, and wei
u patriots, who eel in defence of the
= rights, their liberties, and their homes.
w., -. [Applause.]
=. The Civ of EIovyarc